


Fade

by yeaka



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23502409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Link returns to Kokiri Forest.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Fade

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own The Legend of Zelda or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

He would’ve come straight here without Sheik’s advice; the adventure’s far from over, and Link knows that, but as soon as he stepped out of the temple to see the world in flames, his heart ached for _home_. Navi didn’t have to tell him. It feels like it’s been so long since he set foot in the woods, though he didn’t feel the seven years passing by. It looks like its gone longer. No matter how far he went—across the plains, to the mountains, under graves and underwater—it always felt like this one place stayed the same. He could see such wild sights and enact so much change, defeat dragons and lift shadows, and then he could return to plush grass and fluttering faeries unbothered by the rest of the world’s troubles. He never thought Kokiri Forest would fall like the rest. 

He should’ve known better when he saw Death Mountain smoking in the distance. Hyrule Field was twice as dangerous to cross. Then he came out through the hollowed log into his little village, and Ganon’s touch is everywhere. 

His friends are gone. It’s horribly _empty_. Monsters have crept in—small, petty, but vile things like scrubs and deku babas that didn’t used to dare come out amongst the Kokiri. The air itself feels heavier, and there’s no one singing or playing the old familiar songs. Saria’s voice rings in his ears, thick with nostalgia. In a way, the rest of the village still looks painfully _the same_ : all the same houses, all in the same places, the grass the exact same height and trees still in their prime. But it does feel _smaller_ , even though he knows it’s him that’s changed. He went and grew up. And while he was gone, the forest temple rotted his home. He knows he has to fix that. 

He walks slowly forward, still somewhat awed by the difference. Like everywhere, the lighting’s darker, ominous. He can hear the Lost Forest calling from his left, but his face turns to his right, peering over the hill as he passes. His lone house rises up above the others, the ladder still unfurled and the curtain at the door still drawn aside. He doubts anything inside has changed—he could probably go in and curl up to sleep, if he could manage to cram himself into his childhood bed. But he doesn’t have the luxury of laziness anymore. Navi bobs at his shoulder, uncharacteristically silent—she must be having the same memories. He’ll never forget the first time she pestered him awake, bristling with energy. 

Then she chimes, as she so often does, _Link!_

He knows. The forest temple’s waiting. His friends are waiting too, tucked safely out of sight, and maybe they won’t even recognize him when they come back, but he’ll defend them anyway. He’d give his life for each and every one of them. He turns towards Navi’s frantic glow. With a final, wistful glance at the house he used to love, Link heads for a better future.


End file.
